Scott Turner, the nominee-designate to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the incoming Trump administration, has previously expressed dim and skeptical views about federal programs designed to assist people experiencing poverty and homelessness.These views could illus

Rising mortgage rates suppressed applications in the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) final mortgage applications survey index of 2024, released on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, application volume dropped significantly even with a seasonal adjustment to account for the holidays.Mortgage demand decline

In this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Tiffani Marroquin, head of growth and innovation for JPAR Real Estate. They discuss the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) for the real estate industry, as well as JPAR’s solutions designed to enhance agent and

Rising housing inventory levels in 2024 may not be the positive sign of market health that they appear to be. High inventory levels contribute to another problem as active listings are remaining unsold for longer periods. Although higher home prices, rising mortgage rates and other expenses are obvi

2024 was a disappointing year for those looking forward to a Fed rate-cut cycle and what that could do to mortgage rates. A strong economy (and a skittish Fed) pushed rate cuts all the way to September — and then mortgage rates went higher!However, the bond market got ahead of the Federal Reserve an

All the housing market data for 2024 is in, and it’s fair to say that the housing market surprised us again! However, there are two big trends that stand out as we launch into 2025 — affordability and sellers in the market.The elephant in the room is affordability. Home prices finished 2024 up a few

Despite rising mortgage rates through much of 2024, recent indications show growing boldness among homebuyers heading into the new year. A report released Monday by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed an increase in pending home sales for the fourth consecutive month. NAR’s Pending Hom

Refinance volume is only a fraction of what it was three years ago when mortgage rates plummeted to historic lows, but borrowers have returned in greater numbers this year.Recent data from CoreLogic shows that $347 billion in refinances were originated during the first 10 months of 2024. That’s up 2

While 2024 was rife with challenges for the mortgage industry broadly — across forward and reverse — a new year brings a new mindset. Some challenges remain, with mortgage rates being chief among them. Education and distribution can also likely be improved. But there are also new opportunities for t

In the 16 years since the peak of the Global Financial Crisis, the structured products industry has transformed from a market dominated by large banks to one with space for new players. New relationships are forming between insurers seeking long-term debt investments and managers specializing in ori

The most positive development in the housing market over 2024 has been the increase in active housing inventory, which is approaching the levels seen in 2019. Although those 2019 levels represent a five-decade low before COVID-19, the market was still functioning better than it did from 2020 to 2023

If you’re reading this article, you’re not alone. You’ve likely heard about real estate teams and how they can impact your career — but what exactly are they, and why are so many agents joining or building teams? It’s a big decision to make whether you’re just starting or want to take your career to

As you plan your 2025, it’s important to be intentional about including self-development activities. After all, our business will only grow as much as we do as business owners. With hundreds of books to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which one will truly have a positive impact on your l

As you plan your 2025, it’s important to be intentional about including self-development activities. After all, our business will only grow as much as we do as business owners. With hundreds of books to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which one will truly have a positive impact on your l

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to finding the right transaction management software for your real estate business. Whether you’re running a large brokerage, managing a small team or working on your own, the right transaction management platform can take the worry out of complian

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, attributed to a lack of affordable housing, devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported on Friday in its January 2024 Poin

Reverse mortgage business — and mortgage business generally — is not where people want it to be.That was a repeated idea shared by a group of reverse mortgage professionals when asked to assess what they see as the biggest industry challenges of the year. With Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)

A new report from Redfin revealed that active listings climbed 12% year over year (954,703 listings) during the four weeks ending December 22, though that was the smallest increase since March. Pending home sales sat at 58,267 for the four weeks, marking a year-over-year change of -3.4% — the first

David Neylan, president and chief operating officer at retail lender Guild Mortgage, expects the landscape to remain challenging for mortgage companies in 2025. But Neylan plans to capitalize on these challenges.“I know there’s some forecasts for rates to drop, but it’s not as much as everybody had

Expanded rules for appraisal waivers take effect on purchase transactions starting the first quarter of 2025. Announcements were made on October 28, 2024 by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) who stated the policy action “builds upon the long-running suc